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Original poster

Ds, Remembrance Day, white poppy- Daily Mail do your worst!

238 replies

BertrandRussell · 09/11/2018 08:38

We are a pacifist family and we have always worn a red and a white poppy together at this time of the year. This year 17 year old ds has chosen to wear a white one on it's own to his school remembrance service. I probably could have insisted he wear the two together as usual-should I have done? He was asked to take a significant role in the service and declined- the Head was very accepting of his reasons. I don't think he's just being a teenage dick-he's wearing a suit and has cleaned his shoes (is there anything more heart melting than a nearly adult boy in a suit?)-but ..but...what should I have done?

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CatWithKittens · 09/11/2018 12:07

Miscible, I do not know how you could possibly read my post as suggesting the PPU was responsible for Hitler's activities - they, among many others, did however contribute to an attitude which made it much more politically difficult to take steps to stop those activities. However I agree with you entirely that it is wrong to seek to force or pressurize anybody into wearing a poppy or any other thing or prevent them from doing so. If the OP had been posting about that I would have said her son should follow his conscience, given however that he would be acting as a representative for his House, I agree with those who say he should stand down from that role unless wearing a white poppy would be truly representative and everybody he represents has really thought the issue through.

VillersBretonneux · 09/11/2018 12:16

Sorry derxa my post was moaning about TV types. I'm a middle of the road poppy wearer myself.

VillersBretonneux · 09/11/2018 12:20

I don't think TV execs are the sort who are actually interested in the Legion ( my prejudice I know.) and in enforcing the poppy on general TV programmes is not a positive for me.

derxa · 09/11/2018 12:25

Sorry derxa my post was moaning about TV types. I'm a middle of the road poppy wearer myself. Apologies Blush

Dowser · 09/11/2018 12:28

Both my grandfathers fought in world war 1 when they must’ve been barely out of nappies.
Thankfully they both came back or I wouldn’t be writing this now

RedneckStumpy · 09/11/2018 12:33

I have never heard of a white poppy. I always believe that you should remember all war dead. Nationality is irrelevant, they were all professional soldiers doing their duty to their country.

Miscible · 09/11/2018 12:36

HoppingPavlova, yes, there are stories of 14 year olds signing up. However, Steakandkidney indicated that they were there very unwillingly.

Dowser · 09/11/2018 12:38

My grandads were born about 1896 , so they were 16 or just over when they signed up 😱

VillersBretonneux · 09/11/2018 12:43

No need, it was fairly incoherent.

AnneLovesGilbert · 09/11/2018 12:46

We are a pacifist family

Reminds me of people my parents knew growing up. "We're a healthy family", "We're an emotional family".

Do people paint this stuff like a motto above their front door?

TheCupboardUnderTheStairs · 09/11/2018 13:12

Why do people have to use the poppy as a political symbol or opinion or stance.

Can't we all just spend 1 minute to privately honor those who fought and died in the World Wars and allowed us to live in freedom? For that minute we honor who we want, we don't have going telling everyone what our thought on the situation are.

There are 364 other days we can voice our opinions.

scaryteacher · 09/11/2018 13:25

hopping (and with boys you could probably even argue until mid 20’s) does not have the ability to make rational and considered choices in this regard. My dh joined the RN at 19, my db at 19 and my df at 16. None of them regretted it, and all three have had, or are still enjoying, fulfilling and interesting careers.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/11/2018 13:43

Can't people just give this one day, the silence and the respect enough to do something that isn't about themselves, to respect what others gave?

Well said

ShatnersWig · 09/11/2018 13:49

Teresa May just laid a wreath of red poppies at the graves of the first and last British soldiers killed in WWI. Alongside white roses. White is presumably OK, just not had they been poppies?

Ds, Remembrance Day, white poppy- Daily Mail do your worst!
Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/11/2018 13:52

Shatners what an amazing coincidence that the first and last to be killed now lie opposite each other

Original poster
BertrandRussell · 09/11/2018 14:07

Tragic to think that the Last Soldier memorialised would not have died if the powers that. W had not held off the cease fire until 11.00 on 11/11 so the time would be memorable.....

OP posts:
Original poster
BertrandRussell · 09/11/2018 14:07

*powers that be

OP posts:
dapplegrey · 09/11/2018 14:07

Do people paint this stuff like a motto above their front door?
I sometimes wonder that.

Original poster
BertrandRussell · 09/11/2018 14:11

I don't paint it over my door, no. But when I say a pacifist family I mean that my family has a long tradition of pacifism-which includes serving during both wars as medics, orderlies and stretcher bearers. So maybe think before you mock?

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raisedbyguineapigs · 09/11/2018 14:18

My DS's wanted to wear the purple poppy with the red one. The money is meant to go to the PDSA for a memorial to animals who were killed at war AFAIK but I could only find them on ebay. I didn't want to buy one when the money could just be going anywhere. I think the red poppy is pacifist to an extent as it forces people to remember the complete waste of young lives war is. It does seem as though forcing people to wear it invites other people to make a point about not wearing it or wearing different colours just for the sake of it. I wonder if remembrance day is a big deal in the rest of the world, or is it just a service people go to privately?

HelenaDove · 09/11/2018 16:09

What i cant understand is the cognitive dissonance with wearing a poppy and then voting for policies which end up killing ex soldiers like David Clapson.

forboaten · 09/11/2018 16:13

Helena I agree. I also feel there is so little support given to traumatised ex soldiers, it sticks in my teeth seeing the govt lay wreaths of poppies

Growingboys · 09/11/2018 16:15

Very well said ExLtEveDavis

Flashingbeacon · 09/11/2018 16:22

Both my grandads served in WW2, they felt rememberance was important. They didn’t give a stuff about Poppys. Dad was a soldier and hated how political it was with a passion. DH was a soldier. Will be remaining at home this weekend for a variety of reasons.
All of them to a man, would be outraged that ops son was being chastised over his decision. Let’s remember we are remembering generations who didn’t get to misspend their youth. It doesn’t boils down to colours but whether we think their sacrifice is worth remembering.
When we placed a cross for my mums uncle killed in Italy we were standing next to a boy of no more than 5 placing a cross for his dad. Don’t think it matters a jot what colour you wear to thank him for his sacrifice.
I think the faux outrage is a nice bit of look at me too

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